Berkeley Targets Housing Crisis By Ending Single-Family Zoning

Housing advocates across the country have sought to address the shortage of affordable homes by replacing decades-old single-family zoning with policies that upzone for greater urban density.

Despite growing calls for reform, comprehensive overhauls remain rare and often encounter significant political resistance.

After six years of effort, the Berkeley, CA, city council approved a “middle housing” ordinance during a special meeting. This new policy allows duplexes, triplexes, and multi-family homes up to three stories and eight units “by right” on most residential lots throughout the city.

As an early adopter of single-family zoning more than a century ago, Berkeley now joins a short list of cities that have eliminated such zoning. It is the first city in California to do so, despite state lawmakers having broadly pushed for laws to increase housing production.

Supporters argue that the reform will help Berkeley meet its state-mandated goal of building 9,000 new homes by 2031 and serve as a model for other cities struggling with housing shortages.

The process was long and arduous. Councilman Rashi Kesarwani noted during the meeting that there were more than 40 community engagement sessions over several years.

With community engagement like that, it's hard to imagine why California has a housing crisis,” Jordan Grimes, a resilience manager with the Oakland-based Greenbelt Alliance, wrote on social media.

Joining the Short List

Berkeley’s new rules, which exclude the city’s fire-prone hill neighborhoods, are expected to take effect in November following a procedural second reading next month.

The city now follows in the footsteps of Minneapolis, which in 2018 became the first city to end single-family zoning citywide, and Cambridge, MA, which made a similar move last year.

Oregon and Washington have enacted similar measures statewide in medium and large cities, while Montana, Idaho, and Maine have taken smaller steps, such as allowing duplexes, multiple homes on a single lot, and accessory dwelling units.

North Carolina, Arizona, and other states have attempted to implement these measures but continue to face stiff opposition from local governments concerned about losing control over zoning.

In October 2022, Gainesville, FL’s city council ended single-family zoning in much of the city, only to reverse course months later after new members were elected.

Berkeley’s Long Path

Berkeley’s city planners began the process of considering middle housing in 2019. Notably, the city is home to architect and urban land planner Dan Parolek, who coined the term “missing middle housing” in 2010.

In 2021, the city council voted to end single-family zoning, overturning a 1916 law that had restricted vast swaths of land to single-family homes. In the early 20th century, such zoning—also known as exclusionary zoning—was intended to exclude people of color and lower-income residents from certain neighborhoods.

In Berkeley, real estate developers were major proponents of the law, promoting it as a means to protect property values and neighborhood character by excluding renters.

While laws in other cities explicitly used race in their legal language, Berkeley’s law did not, but it had the same effect of segregating where Black and Asian residents could live. This subtle zoning became a model across the country after a 1917 Supreme Court ruling in Buchanan v. Warley declared explicit racial zoning unconstitutional.

In the 1950s, Berkeley updated its zoning code, further entrenching single-family zoning in the Berkeley Hills and other areas, while also extending it to some working-class and minority neighborhoods at the request of residents seeking the same protections and perceived benefits as wealthier neighborhoods.

Over time, however, housing in Berkeley became increasingly expensive. According to Redfin, the median home sales price is approaching $1.7 million, representing a 22.3% year-over-year increase.

City officials and housing advocates describe the latest change as a crucial step toward addressing the region’s severe housing affordability crisis and confronting the city’s exclusionary past.

These changes are designed to streamline the permitting process and expand housing options for middle-income residents.

Looking Forward

Berkeley’s move to eliminate single-family zoning positions the city as a leader in housing reform and urban inclusivity.

As the new ordinance takes effect, policymakers and advocates nationwide will closely observe how development proceeds and how the city handles pushback from those who opposed the changes.

If successful, Berkeley’s approach could inspire other cities and states to adopt similar measures.